Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 173
Decision Date: July 2, 2014
Associate Dean: Johanne Bnard, Ph.D.
Student Name: Glad Dragos
Student Email: 1gd4@queensu.ca

Course: GEOL 106
Term: Winter
Year: 2012
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Sandra McBride

Course: POLS 110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2012
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Kim Richard Nossal, Dr. Jonathan Rose

Course: FILM 110
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2012
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Dr. Sidneyeve Matrix, Dr. Peter Baxter

Dear Mr. Dragos:

I have carefully considered your appeal to receive Credit standing in GEOL 106, POLS 110B, FILM 110B (W 2012). After reviewing your file I have decided to deny your request.

As you know, Academic Regulation 10.2.2. states that Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed and passed all of the work of the course including the final examination, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower€. The Calendar goes on to stress that Credit standing will only be granted under exceptional circumstances. The integrity of Arts and Science transcripts in general would be greatly diminished if the Faculty were to effect changes to students€™ records without clear and compelling documentation indicating that the student€™s performance was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond her control.

Extenuating circumstances normally involve a significant physical or psychological event that is beyond your control and debilitating to your overall academic performance. Additionally, these kinds of extraordinary situations are normally supported by documentation from a professional.

While your appeal does certainly describe some circumstances that are extenuating in nature, the circumstances from your first year of study in 2012 (namely, depression) are not documented. There are other well documented extenuating circumstances in this appeal but they took place long after the Winter 2012 term. I also understand that you are appealing these grades to improve your GPA so you can gain acceptance into the Faculty of Applied Science. While I support your academic plan, this unfortunately is not considered to be a circumstance that would warrant waiving the academic regulations.

If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, you must submit a letter of intent to appeal within 21 days of receiving this decision. Appeal forms are available from this office (F200 Mackintosh-Corry Hall) or on the web: http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/help/forms General information on appeals is available at http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/academics/academic-appeals. You may contact Mr. Harry Smith, Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Coordinator for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative. His office is located in room 153 Richardson Hall and he can be reached by phone (533-6495) or e-mail (drm@queensu.ca).

Sincerely,



Johanne Bénard, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)


10025387Dragos